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Weekend Box Office Wrap-up: March 6, 2016

Disney broke records at the box office this weekend, as the newcomers led the way.

Debuting in the top spot is Zootopia (read our review), the latest from the Mouse House's animation department. The film brought in $73.7 million during its first three days, which is a new high for the studio, topping the $67.3 million made by Frozen when it opened wide in 2013. In addition, Zootopia also set a new record for largest opening weekend for an animated film in March, beating the $70.2 mark set by The Lorax. It was also a massive hit overseas, and the global total is already an impressive $232.5 million.

It isn't surprising that Zootopia was able to break the bank like this. Not only does Walt Disney Animation have a stellar track record, the film also received rave reviews as something both kids and adults could enjoy. Many praised its timely social commentary and creative visual design, helping it stand out from the crowd of typical family fare. In the past few weeks, many of the fresh arrivals have been disappointments, but Zootopia thankfully broke that trend. Given that there won't be a new animated film hitting nationwide until Ratchet and Clank in April, Zootopia is poised to dominate the marketplace for a while.

Opening in second is the action sequel London Has Fallen (read our review), which made $21.7 million in its first three days. Despite going bigger in scope when compared to predecessor Olympus Has Fallen, Focus Features did not reap larger rewards. Olympus grossed $30.3 million in its opening weekend back in 2013, so there didn't seem to be much interest in another installment. London wasn't helped by a poor critical reception, which painted it as a cliché-ridden, by-the-numbers action throwback that didn't bring much to the table. There may not be a third entry in the Fallen series with this reception.

Coming in third is Deadpool with $16.4 million. The comic book adaptation is now up to $311.1 million domestically, becoming just the third R-rated film in history to cross that milestone in the States. Time will tell if it can top either American Sniper or The Passion of the Christ to work its way further up that chart, but it nevertheless is a remarkable performance by a film many initially saw as a risky investment. Deadpool is now the fourth-highest grossing superhero origin story of all-time

The new war comedy Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (read our review) debuted in fourth place with $7.6 million. The film was never expected to be a big-time earner at the box office, but it's probably not exactly what Paramount was hoping for. Opening slightly lower than what projections had suggested, the lukewarm word-of-mouth surrounding Whiskey Tango Foxtrot wasn't enough to turn it into an appealing counter-programming option, even with stars like Tina Fey and Margot Robbie involved. The production budget was only $35 million, but it still has a ways to go to turn a profit.

Rounding out the top five is Gods of Egypt, making $5 million in its second weekend. The film has brought in just $22.8 million domestically in two weeks. It hasn't gotten much help from international markets, as its worldwide total is just $72.4 million. Lionsgate should be prepared to lose some money on this one.

Religious drama Risen is the #6 film, grossing $3.8 million in its third weekend. It's now up to $28.6 million in the States.

With the arrival of Zootopia, the animated sequel Kung Fu Panda 3 took a hit, falling to seventh place. The latest from DreamWorks added $3.5 million to its domestic total, which is currently at $133.8 million.

Riding the momentum from its Oscar wins, The Revenant came in eighth over the weekend. The revenge drama made $3.3 million to raise its domestic total to $175.9 million.

Olympic biopic Eddie the Eagle comes at #9. The inspirational sports story brought in $3.1 million in its second weekend and is now up to just $10.8 million domestically.

Finishing off the top 10 is The Witch. The horror flick is now at $20.9 million, after making $2.5 million.

[NOTE: These are only weekend box office estimates -- based on Friday and Saturday ticket sales coupled with adjusted expectations for Sunday. Official weekend box office results will be released on Monday, March 7 -- at which time we'll update this post with any changes.]